5 Most Critical Plays From Game 3 Of The NBA Finals

The Cleveland Cavaliers nearly saw their 20-point lead dwindle away in the fourth quarter, but LeBron James and Matthew Dellavedova made the plays they needed to down the stretch for the Cavs to hold on for the narrow victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 3. Here are the five most critical plays from the game:

5) James Jones' halftime buzzer-beater

Jones' shot set the stage for the Cavs' huge third quarter and seemed to kill Golden State's will.

4) LeBron James' alley-oop

This play didn't really have that much of an impact on the game as a whole - it was just an AMAZING play.

3) Stephen Curry's step-back three

This play cut Cleveland's lead to four in the fourth quarter, but it holds more importance than that. Curry was able to create an open shot for himself off the dribble for the first time in the past two games, starting his hot shooting fourth quarter. The Warriors are hoping he can carry that over to Game 4.

2) Klay Thompson's slam

Golden State looked lost halfway through the third quarter, but Thompson's big slam over Timofey Mozgov seemed to give the Warriors life. This was the catalyst behind their huge second half run that nearly won them the game.

1) Matthew Dellavedova's floater

After Golden State had cut Cleveland's lead to one, Dellavedova's three-point play gave the Cavs some of their momentum back, allowing them to hold on for the victory.

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